What is Gluten Free?

Whether you have an intolerance to gluten or just choose not to eat it, you have come to the right place!

Gluten Free Labeling

Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, spelt, barley, rye, and kamut. In order for a product in the United States to be labeled as “Gluten Free”, it must have less than 20 ppm of gluten. This means that a “Gluten Free” product still might have some gluten in it.

Benefits of a Gluten Free Diet

Some have a choice to eat gluten products or not, while others have Celiac Disease and just simply can’t tolerate gluten.

If you experience symptoms such as headaches, aching joints, bloating, gas, fatigue, poor concentration, and emotional irritability, after you eat gluten, you may have a gluten intolerance.

If you suspect that you have a gluten intolerance, you might want to omit gluten from your diet for a week or two, and see if there is any relief to your symptoms. You can also get a blood test done to see if you have Celiac Disease.

Gluten Free Alternatives

There are plenty of healthy alternatives for gluten. If you haven’t already figured it out, just because something is labeled as “Gluten-Free”, it doesn’t mean that it is healthy for you. It just means that the product doesn’t have gluten in it. You will find plenty of gluten free products out there, from gluten free cookies to gluten free cakes. If you are switching to a gluten free diet (aka “life style”), then make sure you eat the healthy gluten free products.

Here is a list of gluten free products that are either eaten as a whole grain or as a flour.

• Amaranth, grain and flour

• Arrowroot, grain and flour

• Brown Rice, grain and flour

• Buckwheat, grain and flour

• Chestnut, flour

• Coconut, flour

• Corn, grain and flour

• Garbanzo, flour

• Maize, flour

• Millet, grain and flour

• Potato, flour

• Quinoa, grain and flour

• Sorghum, flour

• Tapioca, flour

• Teff, flour

Baking with Gluten Free Flours

When I follow a recipe, I just use my gluten free flour of choice as a replacement. If the recipe calls for 3 cups of all-purpose flour, I might use 2 cups of brown rice flour and 1 cup of coconut flour. In most cases, a simple swap of ingredients will work.